National Coalition Party in Helsinki wants merger with Vantaa

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The Helsinki organisation of the conservative National Coalition Party wants the cities of Helsinki and Vantaa to merge.
      “We feel that it would be better for the people. We are already living in a single city, and we go to work across municipal borders”, says Laura Räty, the chair of the National Coalition Party’s group on the Helsinki City Council.
      The statement was issued on Wednesday at the winter meeting of the Helsinki organisation of the National Coalition Party, which called for the appointment of an administrator to examine the possibility.
     
The party’s regional organisation takes a more cautious view of the idea of a joint regional administration – a proposed body that would comprise all 14 municipalities in the Helsinki region and its surroundings.
      “It is a difficult matter, and we do not reject it out of hand. As a starting point, it would not be sensible to develop something like that if it increases bureaucracy”, Räty says.
      He denies suggestions that there would be great disagreements within the party’s regional organisation on whether or not a merger in the Helsinki region should be written into the policy programme of the national government.
     
The city councils of Helsinki and Vantaa are to decide at the end of this month on how to react to a possible merger of the two cities.
      The Helsinki City Council is expected to vote in favour of an administrator, as the Green League, the second-largest party on the council, has come out in favour of such a move.
     


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Possible Helsinki-Vantaa merger could be examined soon (28.10.2008)
  Poll: Support grows for municipal merger in Helsinki region (21.12.2010)
  Helsinki to propose study on possible municipal merger in capital region (22.1.2009)
  Government not ready to boost Greater Helsinki metropolis (19.1.2009)

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